Carpet America Recovery Effort

Developing Market Based Solutions for the Recycling & Reuse of Post-Consumer Carpet

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CARE Connects Commercial Jobs with Reuse Opportunities

Workers remove carpet tile destined for reuse.
Workers remove carpet tile destined for reuse.

While presenting at a conference of sustainable construction leaders last fall, CARE Market Development Manager Rob Thiess learned about ANEW – a woman-founded and led nonprofit that for 20 years has been working with companies to steward surplus office furniture and other items back into their communities and away from landfill. Based in Los Angeles with a presence across the country, ANEW finds reuse options for much of what is left behind by long-term renters and building owners. Rob reached out and in November, Rose Tourje from ANEW contacted Rob about a large project for a multi-national manufacturer located in El Segundo, California.

Due to a brand makeover, 12 floors of Interface’s PVC-backed tile (an estimated 100,000 square feet) in good condition was to be removed in six phases. Rob connected ANEW with Repurpose Earth, a business focused on finding reuse opportunities for carpet tile. The tear-out was tricky: people were still working on the floors where demolition was happening, and there was almost no storage space. CARE provided guidance on the proper collection process for the carpet tiles, which were stacked, strapped, and wrapped, and worked with Repurpose Earth to identify reuse options and outlets. Phase One of the project was completed in December and resulted in eleven pallets of carpet tile, weighing almost 17,000 pounds, being sent to two churches for reuse. Phase Two is set for this month.

The California Carpet Stewardship Program continues to work to increase the amount of commercial carpet that is reused and recycled. Commercial broadloom or carpet tile jobs of more than 5,000 square yards may be eligible for our free takeback program. Please complete the Project Takeback form to request a takeback. Contact Rob Thiess with questions.

Commercial Carpet Takeback Program for Large Jobs Announced

carpet tile being transported at collection siteThe California Carpet Stewardship Program is working to increase the amount of commercial carpet that is reused and recycled. Diverting this material saves landfill space and resources.

Commercial broadloom or carpet tile jobs of more than 5,000 square yards may be eligible for our free takeback program.

Contact CARE Product and Market Development Manager Rob Thiess with project location and size. See also the Commercial Contractors webpage.

Grantee Case Study: Carpet Tile Reuse – A Win/Win Business

Project Description

woman with carpet tile
Repurpose Earth’s Andrea Poventud with carpet tile headed for reuse.

Used carpet tile can have a useful second life but is often overlooked due to the lack of secondary outlets and the amount of labor required to sort and transport the tile. Before founding Repurpose Earth, mother/daughter team Angie and Andrea Poventud were assisting underserved populations in Wisconsin to secure health insurance. In the same spirit of generosity, the pair is now collecting carpet tile from commercial job sites and redistributing it to disadvantaged communities.

Repurpose Earth collects carpet tile from area construction projects along with attic stock or overages. They sort and clean the tile before donating it. About 5% of the carpet tile is too heavily soiled with glue or dirt to be reused; that tile is sorted by backing for possible recycling.

Repurpose Earth has a seven-pallet minimum for pickup in the LA area, but anyone can make an appointment to drop at their warehouse in Englewood, across from SoFi Stadium. Projects outside of the LA area are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Project Timeline: December 2022-December 2023

Location: Inglewood, CA

Grant Amount and Match: $15,000 grant; $3,000 match

“The CARE grant REALLY helped us out so we can help others. We’re so grateful.” Angie Poventud, Repurpose Earth

Implementation Process

Repurpose Earth’s aim is to grow its Los Angeles-based efforts to divert additional post-industrial (tear out) carpet tile to various organizations serving people who need help. Repurpose Earth received a $15,000 grant to purchase a used propane forklift, strapping equipment and an electric pallet jack to enable more efficient sorting and transporting of carpet tile. The equipment was purchased locally and was easy to procure.

Project Challenges

The current slowdown in the commercial real estate market means less remodeling, which makes it challenging to access used carpet tile. The new equipment will make it easier to expand beyond the greater Los Angeles area. Project managers tearing out carpet tile are encouraged to contact Repurpose Earth to ensure that their old carpet is put to good use.

Project Benefits and Outcomes

Repurpose Earth has repurposed about 730,000 pounds of carpet tile so far in 2023 (as of October.) The equipment enabled the company to increase collection and redistribution while planning for future growth. Local underserved community benefited from the donated carpet tile.

This is one of a series of case studies that illustrate the impact and logistics of grant funding on the carpet recycling industry in California.

Additional Case Studies

Grantee Case Study: 916 Floors

Grantee Case Study: Circular Polymers

Grantee Case Study: CLEAR

Micro Grant Case Study: Florin Perkins

Grantee Case Study: GHD, Inc.

Grant Case Study: Moto’s Transportation

Micro Grant Case Study: Napa Recycling

Grantee Case Study: necoTech

CARE Grantee Case Study: Safepath Products

CARE Grantee Case Study: Sierra Mat & Rubber

Making Your Carpet Last Makes Sense: Carpet Maintenance Tips

different feet/legs on white wall to wall carpetThe carpet in your house serves you faithfully. Year after year, it warms feet and brightens rooms.

Most wall-to-wall carpet and carpet tile is made from fossil fuels, the same material that powers cars and lights buildings. To preserve valuable resources, making your carpet last as long as possible is the smart thing to do. Proper maintenance protects your investment.

Janitor Cleaning Carpet With Vacuum Cleaner At HomeThe nonprofit Carpet and Rug Institute offers these tips for carpet care to ensure that the carpet lasts longer and looks great:

  • Regular vacuuming – at least once a week with slow, steady motions – can have great impact on the air you breathe by removing dust, dirt, allergens, and particles.
  • Clean spots and spills quickly with products that do not damage your carpet or cause it to resoil quickly.
  • Professionally deep clean your carpets every 12 to 18 months to remove embedded dirt and grime.
  • Stop dirt at the door by using mats outside and in, taking your shoes off when you enter the space, and changing your air filters to reduce airborne dust particles.

To get more detail on proper carpet maintenance, download the CRI 205 Residential Carpet Standard for Maintenance and Cleaning (in English) or CRI 205 Alfombra Residencial Estandard para Limpieza y Mantenimiento (in Spanish).

In addition, the Carpet and Rug Institute offers a Seal of Approval, the carpet industry’s only scientific program to test the effectiveness of carpet cleaning products and equipment. See approved products, including vacuums and cleaning solutions, on their website.

Reuse it!

Is your carpet ready to retire? All things must pass, but it’s often possible to give old carpet a new life. Here are some tips for taking care of carpet in its retirement:

  • Reuse it around the house – Old carpet, especially carpet tiles, is useful in laundry rooms, garages, pet pens and other areas. Use carpet squares as pads to prevent furniture from sliding.
  • Donate it – Your discarded carpet in good condition could be someone else’s treasure. Contact local thrift stores or community groups.
  • Give it away – List your old carpet with a service like Freecycle or Nextdoor and help your neighbor.

Recycle it!

When reuse is no longer an option, recycling is the way to go. In California, there are over 160 public drop-off sites where carpet can be taken for recycling into useful new products. (Fees may apply.) See the map of CARE drop-off sites here and tell your contractor or flooring retailer that you want your old carpet to be recycled.

PlanetReuse: Giving Post-Consumer Carpet a Second Life

Seeing an opportunity to find second homes for post-consumer carpet, PlanetReuse is forging new options beyond recycling, landfill and waste-to-energy. The company was founded to help architects and contractors connect with a variety of reclaimed building materials, including floor covering.

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Nathan Benjamin, Founder and CEO of PlanetReuse, spoke about the organization’s efforts during the CARE Annual Conference held in Seattle earlier this year.

As Nathan notes, “It’s our mission to make reclaimed material reuse as easy as possible. So we do whatever it takes to make that happen – offering insight on how to incorporate materials into the design, finding a home for materials coming out of existing spaces and handling every last detail of the process.”

Reuse options for post-consumer carpet

PlanetReuse has found carpet tile to be modular, transportable and easily reinstalled.

Contractors, manufacturers and developers are the most common donors of reuseable carpet tile, which is then purchased by homeowners, DIYers, non-profits, apartment landlords, contractors and developers. PlanetReuse coordinates a seamless transfer between donors and buyers from any size project.

“For carpet tile that cannot be recycled (like cushion-backed tile), reuse is a great way to extend the life of tile without burning it or sending it to the landfill,” Nathan explains.

“You would be surprised what tile can be reused – there is a huge market for it. But, for carpet that is too worn or weathered for reuse, we rely on recycling and waste-to-energy efforts currently in place.”

Tap into PlanetReuse’s national network of coordinators

PlanetReuse’s brokering and consulting services help facilitate reuse opportunities locally and regionally, offering an alternative to sending surplus tile to landfill, hauling to a waste-to-energy facility or transporting long distances to recycle. This helps keep down time, costs and allows reuse to be a viable option on many projects.

The program also complements existing carpet manufacturer and partner sustainability programs. PlanetReuse works with these groups to create custom, mobile-friendly documents for internal use and to share with clients.

Carpet reuse results

PlanetReuse has recently revamped their carpet tile outreach and service program, and has reported an impressive 2,012,680 pounds of carpet reused from 2012 through July 2014, including more than 1,400,000 pounds in a single year.

The organization also offers monthly, quarterly or annual carpet reuse reporting by project, as well as LEED and Living Building Challenge documentation services.

Visit the reuse coordination page on the PlanetReuse website to learn more information and access a generic form to start the process. If you would like to create a company-specific program, email PlanetReuse directly at info@planetreuse.com.

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